The European Commission and the European Parliament have decided on the start date of the ban on diesel and petrol vehicle sales in the European Union. Beginning in the year 2035, carmakers will be prohibited to sell combustion-powered vehicles in EU countries.
Diesel and petrol vehicles, and even plug-in hybrid and hybrid cars, release some amount of carbon dioxide (CO2). They are primary contributors to air pollution. They also emit nitrogen oxides, a reactive group of gases that contains nitric oxide or NO and nitrogen dioxide or NO2. The only vehicles that do not release harmful greenhouse gases into the air are electric, as well as cars that use hydrogen fuel cells in generating their electricity.
According to the new plans, the goal is to reduce CO2 emissions for cars by at least 55% and approximately 50% for new vans beginning in 2030.
Banning the sales of diesel and petrol vehicles is part of the action plan towards the goal of achieving zero emissions.
Why are diesel emissions dangerous?
Diesel emissions come from diesel vehicles and are considered highly dangerous for both the environment and human health. These emissions are known as NOx or nitrogen oxides, a group of reactive gases including nitric oxide (NO) and nitrogen dioxide (NO2). NO2 alone has an extensive list of adverse effects on your overall health.
NOx significantly contributes to the formation of smog and acid rain and is responsible for producing a pollutant called ground-level ozone. This pollutant is a global concern as it weakens and damages vegetation.
NOx emissions heavily pollute the air. It contributes to air pollution, which is now considered more dangerous than cigarette smoking. According to The Cyprus Institute’s Professor Jos Lelieveld, air pollution has become the leading cause of early deaths around the world, exceeding the violence factors of malaria, HIV and AIDS, drug abuse, and alcohol. Air pollution is responsible for around 64,000 premature deaths in the UK every year and approximately 8.8 million worldwide.
Its negative impact on your health varies from common and mild ones to serious and life-threatening ones. Low-level exposure to NOx emissions often causes asthma, emphysema, and other respiratory issues. High-level exposure can lead to major impacts such as asphyxiation, spasm of the vocal cords, cardiovascular diseases, and cancer. NOx emissions are linked to hundreds of thousands of premature deaths across the world.
Most cases of NOx emissions-linked early deaths are caused by strokes and heart ailments and other cardiovascular diseases.
Exposure to nitrogen oxide emissions can also weaken your cognitive abilities making you more vulnerable to dementia. Mental health issues are also common, specifically anxiety and depression.
Despite these negative impacts, road transport emissions are still at high levels in the UK. Although there are emissions regulations, vehicle manufacturers have not necessarily adhered to them, and one proof of this is the Dieselgate scandal that started in 2015 with the Volkswagen Group.
Diesel emissions scandal
In 2013, John German and his International Council on Clean Transportation (ICCT) colleagues wanted to find positive things that they could say about diesel. So, he commissioned an exam that analysed diesel vehicle pollution. They compared exhaust pipe emissions during lab tests with what the vehicles released when driven on real roads.
German and his colleagues examined a Volkswagen Jetta and a Passat. California researchers did the certification test while West Virginia University researchers were hired to drive the same vehicles on highways, mountains, and across cities. Equipment that directly evaluates emissions from the vehicles’ exhausts was used for the test.
What they found baffled them: the Jetta’s NOx emissions exceeded the regulated limit by 15 times, even going up to 35 times in certain instances. The VW Passat also exceeded legal limits. German thought the vehicles had defeat devices. He referred the findings to the Carb or California Air Resources Board and the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency).
This led to the Dieselgate scandal that involved the Volkswagen Group and numerous other carmakers, including Mercedes-Benz, BMW, and Vauxhall. The defeat devices sensed when a vehicle was being tested and they automatically lowered emissions levels to within the World Health Organization’s (WHO) limits. Thus, during testing, the vehicle is fuel-efficient, clean, and emissions-compliant.
Once the vehicle is out on real roads, though, the NOx emissions levels are excessively high and often over the EU and WHO limits. As such, the vehicle is a pollutant.
Volkswagen, Mercedes, BMW, and Vauxhall, among others, allegedly lied to and sold compromised vehicles to their customers. They also subjected car owners to massive volumes of NOx emissions. Bring forward an emissions claim against them.
Volkswagen, Mercedes, and BMW have spent billions in payoffs. The Vauxhall emissions claim is still in its infancy but things have been moving along as well.
What should I do with my diesel claim?
The claims process can be long and challenging but if you know what to do. However, since not all Vauxhall vehicles are affected by defeat devices, you should first determine if you are qualified to bring forward a Vauxhall emissions claim. Only certain models from specific manufacturing years are eligible and Emissions.co.uk has all the information you need. Visit their website now so you can soon start your Vauxhall diesel claim.
